Murder and Summoning Souls! (Two-in-One)

The sky was clear and bright, and a gentle breeze wafted through the air.

Stalls lined both sides of the entrance to Cangyuan Bridge Street, where peddlers hawked their wares:

"Steamed buns! Hot meat buns—"

"Sweet pancakes for sale!"

"Osmanthus cakes, fresh from the oven!"

This was one of Heaven Capital City's "snack streets," packed with bustling crowds and filled with noise and excitement. Young men and women in fine clothes strolled everywhere.

A pretty young woman with delicate features walked down the street. Her fitted martial outfit outlined her well-proportioned figure, and a silver hairpin simply held back her glossy black hair. She carried herself with an easy, spirited confidence.

Passersby kept glancing her way—

In Great Yuan, martial culture ran deep, so her outfit wasn't unusual. It was the way she ate that was simply too...

She hadn't stopped eating since she set out at one end of the street. Her cheeks were puffed out, her lips gleamed with grease, and she held two pig's trotters in her hands.

Her looks were graceful and refined, but her eating was wild and uninhibited—the contrast couldn't have been sharper.

"Miss, slow down! Wait for me!"

Qing'er, her hair in two little buns, hurried after her with short, quick steps. Her arms were full of bags of food, and she could barely see where she was going.

This was an ordinary day for the mistress and her maid.

First, they ate their way from one end of Cangyuan Bridge Street to the other as an appetizer. Then they went to Desheng Inn and ordered four dishes and a soup for the main meal. Afterward, they retraced their steps to walk off the food—and picked up a little dessert along the way.

And all that was only one of three meals.

"The Martial Saint Mountain's cultivation methods develop both the inner and outer self. They emphasize refining essence into qi and tempering the body. Eating itself is a way to replenish essence and qi, so it's part of cultivation."

"Miss has a True Martial Body, so she refines energy incredibly fast, and her Root Bone is practically limitless. Her appetite is frighteningly huge... She eats more than ten taels of silver's worth of food every day, and that's just ordinary fare. If she eats exotic beast meat, the cost multiplies several times over."

"The Shen Family is wealthy and influential, but they're not merchants and have no steady source of income. How could they afford to feed her like this?"

Qing'er couldn't help worrying.

Back on the mountain, Shen Zhixia had eaten so much that she'd nearly wiped out the exotic beasts there. That was why she'd been "sent" back to Heaven Capital City to visit her family.

She'd only been back a few days, and already three cooks had collapsed from exhaustion... There was no helping it. They could only go out in search of food.

At this rate, she'd eat the Shen Family into bankruptcy...

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Qing'er's mind.

"That's right! Chen Mo has money!"

Never mind how lucrative the Heavenly Qilin Guard was. Chen Mo's mother came from a family of great wealth and influence!

The He Family controlled the first-rate sect, the Misty Rain Pavilion. Its power extended across two commanderies and a circuit in Jiangnan, and its canal-transport business alone brought in a fortune. They could surely afford to keep Miss fed!

"And he's not as useless as the rumors say. His strength is about on par with Miss's, putting him among the top young prodigies. And now he's a great hero who's slain an evil demon..."

The more Qing'er thought about it, the more promising it seemed.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

Just then, a rush of hoofbeats came from the end of the street.

"The Heavenly Qilin Guard is on a case! Make way!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Qing'er looked up. A fine steed, red as a cloud and white as snow, came galloping down the street.

A man and a woman rode on its back. The man sat straight-backed and handsome as jade, holding the reins. Behind him, a spirited woman sat sideways, her blue-and-white Hezi Skirt fluttering in the wind.

The pedestrians hurried to both sides of the road. According to the Ceremonial Code, riding a horse at full speed in a busy district was forbidden, and violators faced fifty strokes of the cane.

But the rules were meant to restrain ordinary people. The Heavenly Qilin Guard was not among them.

Even if they overturned every stall on the street, the vendors would have to smile and apologize, not daring to show the slightest displeasure.

"Chen Mo?"

"Who's the woman behind him?"

Qing'er knitted her brows.

If they were riding the same horse, their relationship was surely no ordinary one. The woman was strikingly beautiful, and no less lovely than Miss...

Danger! Danger! Danger!

"Miss... Miss?"

Shen Zhixia was bent over her pig's trotter, oblivious to everything around her.

Qing'er: "..."

Your man's about to be stolen away, and you don't have a single ounce of urgency...

Qing'er's worry had already shifted from "being afraid someone will steal our family's cabbage" to "being afraid our family's pig eats so much that someone else will steal the cabbage away"...

"Hyah!"

Chen Mo urged his horse into a gallop, heading toward the western part of the city.

Li Yuan sat sideways behind him, legs together and both hands holding down her skirt. A lingering blush still colored her cheeks.

They'd only just left Music Performance Street when they received a message from the Magistrate Office: there was a case, and Li Yuan was needed in the western part of the city immediately.

Li Yuan had deliberately changed into a skirt the previous night. It wasn't suitable for riding, so she'd taken a carriage to the Music Bureau. Now the Magistrate Office was pressing them to hurry, leaving her no choice but to ride with Chen Mo...

Feeling the gazes of those around her, she was mortified, but there was nowhere to hide. She could only grit her teeth and bear it.

"Chen Mo, was that woman really your informant?" Li Yuan asked.

She knew Chen Mo had planted plenty of eyes and ears around the city. He'd relied on extremely precise intelligence to catch the Yan Liang brothers, so she hadn't doubted him at first.

But the more she thought about it, the less it made sense.

The woman was stunning, and she was an Occultist. Why would she willingly stay in a place of pleasure?

Chen Mo knew what Li Yuan was thinking. He turned his head and said, "Her identity is special, so I can't tell you much. Staying at the Music Bureau was her own decision. We're partners, each getting what we need."

"Oh."

Li Yuan didn't ask any further.

Chen Mo's lips curved slightly as he said with a smile, "What, are you jealous?"

A flicker of panic passed through Li Yuan's eyes. "I was just asking. Who's jealous? Besides, we're only colleagues. Why would I be jealous...?"

As she spoke, her voice grew less and less convincing.

He'd touched her all over, and they'd even slept in the same bed. What kind of colleagues did that?

"By the way, why were you sleeping next to me last night...?"

"I told you, I was looking for wine!"

"Who looks for wine in someone's bed?"

"Shut up!"

White Pagoda Street was in the western part of the city, surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Most of its residents were wealthy merchants or officials. Mansions with whitewashed walls and gray-tiled roofs stood row upon row. The bluestone streets were clean and neat, and willow and osmanthus trees lined both sides.

A crowd had gathered at the mouth of an alley, murmuring among themselves.

"Tsk, Old Lin died such a terrible death."

"Yeah. He was so old, and he still had to suffer this kind of cruelty."

"Who knows who he offended..."

At the sound of hoofbeats, the crowd turned around. Their faces changed, and they hurriedly moved aside.

Chen Mo swung down from the horse. Li Yuan held down her skirt and hopped off lightly.

After tying the reins to a tree, they walked to a residence in the alley. The Six Gates officers had already sealed off the area, and a constable at the entrance stepped forward to stop them.

"Government officers at work. No unauthorized—"

Li Yuan showed her badge. The constable's tone changed at once, and he bowed. "Flag Chief, please come in."

The Six Gates fell under the Three Judicial Offices, while the Heavenly Qilin Guard was an institution specially authorized by the emperor to handle unusual affairs. Their responsibilities sometimes overlapped, so the two often worked together on cases.

If this case had been referred to the Heavenly Qilin Guard, it clearly wasn't an ordinary murder.

They entered the courtyard. In the middle lay a corpse covered with a white cloth, while several officers carefully examined the corners.

"Flag Chief Li."

A middle-aged man in a green robe, a long saber at his waist, strode over.

When he came closer, the man froze. He stared at Li Yuan in disbelief.

"Flag Chief Li, you..."

She wore a blue-and-white Hezi Skirt, her black hair coiled into a bun. With her rosy lips and white teeth, she looked like a charming young lady from a respectable household.

Was this really the cold, rigid Li Yuan?!

Had she been possessed?

Li Yuan looked a little uncomfortable. "I had an engagement last night and didn't have time to change."

The middle-aged man recovered and suppressed his curiosity, asking no more. His gaze shifted to the handsome man beside her.

"And this gentleman is?"

"Flag Chief Chen Mo, of the Water Bureau."

At the name, everyone present straightened.

Investigating the Ten Heavenly Demons was part of the Six Gates' duties, so they knew exactly how impressive this "foremost demon slayer" was!

"Flag Chief Chen's name is known far and wide. Now that I've met you, I can see you're truly an exceptional man!"

The middle-aged man spoke in a hearty voice.

It wasn't just flattery. After years of handling cases, he'd become an excellent judge of character.

The man before him was handsome and imposing, with sharpness hidden in his eyes. He was clearly no pretty-faced weakling.

Li Yuan introduced him. "He's Investigator Shangguan Yunfei, of the Six Gates' Search and Arrest Division."

Then, as if afraid Chen Mo might misunderstand, she added, "I've worked with him on a few cases before."

Chen Mo wasn't petty enough to mind. He nodded. "Constable Shangguan, I've heard a lot about you."

Shangguan Yunfei did have a reputation. His case-solving record was excellent, second only to Lin Jingzhu, and he was one of the Six Gates' Four Great Constables.

His father, Shangguan Ming, was Chief of Transmission, responsible for internal and external memorials as well as secret petitions from officials and commoners. He was also a figure at the heart of power.

After the pleasantries, Shangguan Yunfei brought the conversation back to the case.

"The deceased was named Lin Huai. He was a minor official in the Ministry of Works and had only recently retired."

"He had no wife or family, no sons or daughters. A neighbor reported a foul smell this morning, and that's how the body was found. He's been dead for about three days..."

They went over to the corpse. An officer lifted the white cloth, and the moment Chen Mo saw the body, he understood why the case had been referred to the Heavenly Qilin Guard.

The corpse was in a dreadful state. A thin layer of flesh clung to the bones, as if the victim had been drained until he was little more than a dried husk. His chest had been ripped open, his organs were mangled, and his intestines trailed outside his body.

His eyes bulged, his face twisted, and terror was written all over it. It seemed he'd endured all this agony while still alive before finally dying.

Shangguan Yunfei said, "There are signs that someone searched the house, but the valuables are still here. The killer wasn't after money. It must have been revenge."

Li Yuan furrowed her brow. "He was tortured like this. How deep could their grudge have been?"

Shangguan Yunfei shook his head. "I asked around the neighborhood. Lin Huai was a modest, courteous man with a good reputation... Besides, what kind of enemy could a retired minor official of the Ministry of Works have made, to provoke such a brazen murder beneath the emperor's nose?"

Li Yuan mused, "His flesh and blood were drained dry. The killer was probably an evil cultivator..."

Shangguan Yunfei agreed.

Chen Mo crouched beside the corpse and studied it for a moment. "It wasn't an evil cultivator. It was a demon."

The moment he said it, the air fell dead silent.

Several officers exchanged uneasy glances. Shangguan Yunfei frowned. "Flag Chief Chen, are you sure? Heaven Capital City has the Eight Directions Demon-Purging Array. How could a demon have slipped in?"

Back when demons and monsters ran rampant and the common people lived in misery, the Three Sages had driven them out and set up a grand array within Heaven Capital City.

The moment a demon set foot inside, the array would activate on its own, triggering the Demon-Slaying Crossbow, the mighty weapon at the Star Observation Platform, to kill it.

"Even the most wondrous array isn't omnipotent. Heaven Capital City is densely populated, and its auras are mixed together. As long as the demonic aura doesn't reach a certain level, the array may well fail to detect it," Chen Mo said.

With his title's boost and his greatly enhanced spiritual sense, he'd "smelled" a trace of demonic aura on the corpse.

It was faint, but unmistakable.

Even seeing how certain he was, the officers still found it hard to believe.

This was Great Yuan's capital, packed with mighty cultivators. What kind of demon would be bold enough to come here?

Just then, Chen Mo asked, "You said earlier, how long ago did this man die?"

Shangguan Yunfei replied, "Judging by the decomposition, no more than three days ago."

"I hope I'm not too late."

Chen Mo reached into his robe and pulled out a bronze candle lamp.

A spark flared at his fingertip. He lit the wick and set the lamp beside the corpse.

The Soul-Guiding Lamp he'd seized from Daoist You still had oil in it. Once lit, it could draw nearby wandering souls.

A moment later, the flame trembled. A translucent figure, like a wisp of smoke, slowly appeared.

Its features were blurry, but it was still possible to make out Lin Huai's face!

Hiss!

A chorus of sharp breaths rose around them!

They'd never seen anything like this before!

Shangguan Yunfei's voice came out a little hoarse. "Flag Chief Chen, you know the methods of ghost cultivators too?"

Chen Mo replied coolly, "Just the basics."

Shangguan Yunfei supposed that made sense. How else could Chen Mo have dealt with Qin Wuxiang, that master of a hundred faces and a thousand forms?

Chen Mo walked up to the wandering soul and asked, "Lin Huai, tell me. Who killed you?"

Lin Huai's expression was blank. He paid no attention to Chen Mo's question.

Chen Mo asked several more times, but Lin Huai still didn't react. His figure was growing fainter and fainter, almost ready to vanish.

Chen Mo knitted his brows and tried to lock onto the soul with his spiritual sense.

He drew a breath and unleashed a thunderous shout:

"LIN HUAI!!"

His furious roar shook the ears of everyone present and made their scalps prickle.

Lin Huai jolted awake. His blank expression twisted, as if he were looking at something that terrified him beyond measure.

His lips moved. His voice squeezed out through clenched teeth:

"D-Demon!"

Whoosh—

A breeze swept past, and the wandering spirit vanished into thin air.

The constables stood frozen in place. When they finally came to their senses, a chill ran down their spines!

It really was a demon!

Shangguan Yunfei clenched his fists, his expression grave. "This case is of utmost importance. It's beyond our ability to handle. We must return to the office and report it immediately!"

It had been one thing back in Tongling County, since it was only a subordinate county. But this was the capital of Great Yuan!

Right beneath the imperial city, a member of the Demon Race had actually killed someone...

This time, all hell was going to break loose!

The constables carefully lifted the corpse onto a stretcher, preparing to take it back to the office.

Shangguan Yunfei cupped his hands toward Chen Mo, his face full of admiration. "You truly live up to your reputation. If Flag Chief Chen hadn't shown us the way, we might still be in the dark."

Li Yuan looked at Chen Mo, her eyes brimming with adoration.

She hadn't expected this scoundrel to be not only good at fighting, but so skilled at solving cases, too. He'd spotted the telltale signs at a glance...

Noticing that she looked like a lovestruck fangirl, Shangguan Yunfei admired Chen Mo even more.

"Even Flag Officer Li has fallen for him. What a ruthless man..."

After leaving White Pagoda Street, Chen Mo had wanted to escort Li Yuan back, but she'd refused no matter what. She'd called a carriage and left on her own, apparently too embarrassed to ride with him.

Chen Mo headed straight home.

After all, he was on field duty today, so he didn't need to return to the Magistrate Office to report in.

Back at the Chen Estate, he passed through the front hall. As he went by the dining room, he heard voices coming from inside:

"Zhixia, eat some more."

"If that's not enough, I'll have the cook make more."

Chen Mo walked over and saw the table covered with delicacies. Shen Zhixia sat somewhat uneasily in her chair while He Yuzhi kept piling food into her bowl. It was almost stacked into a little mountain in front of her.

When she saw Chen Mo come back, Shen Zhixia lowered her head and hid behind the mountain of food, not daring to look at him.

She grumbled inwardly, I wonder what's gotten into Qing'er. She usually stops me, but today she insisted I come to the Chen Estate for a free meal...